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abandoned art gallery

Sitting on what must be some very pricey commercial property just off of Sathorn Road in central Bangkok lies the remains of The Bhirasri Institute of Modern Art. It opened in 1974 by a group Thai and expats and began as a gallery which featured donated works contributed by Thai & foreign artists. The Institute was named after the Italian-born sculptor & 'father of Thai modern art' who founded Silpakorn University, Silpa Bhirasri. Born as Corrado Feroci in Florence, Mr. Bhirasri took a Thai name after becoming a citizen of Thailand. The Institute once housed paintings that are now worth millions of US dollars, some of which were painted by Mr. Bhirasri’s apprentice, Thawan Duchanee. My girlfriend’s boss, a local business owner, owns a few paintings by Mr. Duchanee, one of which was purchased for 40 million baht ($1.2 million USD). It also exhibited works by Chalermchai Kositpipat, another well-known Thai artist whose paintings sell for millions, as well as other international artists such as Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming.

The Institute closed in 1988 & the artworks moved elsewhere, with all that remains is decaying facade and run-down interior home to stray cats and some squatters finding shelter from the Bangkok sun and monsoon rains. The building is also used as storage for garbage cans and other municipal odds & ends.